Osteospermum plant named ‘Kakegawa AU4’

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of  Osteospermum fruticosum  (L.) Norl plant named ‘Kakegawa AU4’. This new plant has a suitable form for pot culture and also possesses large yellow flowers that stay open into the evening hours or under low light conditions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of theCompositae family. The new variety, a member of the species Osteospermumfruticosum (L.) Norl., named ‘Kakegawa AU4’. This species is one ofseveral species of Osteospermum that are commonly referred to as CapeDaisy.

The new variety originated as a first generation hybrid seedlingfollowing four generations of random intercrossing between populationselections. All crosses were done at the Sakata Seed Corporation, ChogoResearch Station in Chogo Prefecture, Japan. The objective of thisbreeding program was to develop plants with suitable form for potculture that also possessed large flowers that would stay open into theevening hours. The flowers of Osteospermum fruticosum (L.) Norl. usuallyclose under low light conditions, such as in the evening.

In 1989, the Osteospermum fruticosum (L.) Norl. breeding population wasinitiated that produced the female parent of the initial cross of thisvariety. Five generations of plant selection and intercrossing occurreduntil breeding line 573 was selected in 1994. Plant selection was madefor the yellow petal color and flowers that remained open in theafternoon or evening.

In 1991, the Osteospermum fruticosum (L.) Norl. breeding population wasstarted that produced the male parent of the initial cross of thisvariety. Three generations of plant selection and intercrossing occurreduntil breeding line 601 was selected in 1994. Plant selection was madefor yellow petal color and flowers that remained open in the afternoonor evening.

In 1994, line 573 was crossed with line 601. The F₁ seed was sown thatFall and in Spring of 1995, line S16 was selected. Line S16 was selectedbecause of its unique white petals with yellow tips and thecharacteristic of keeping its flowers open late into the afternoon. LineS16 was asexually reproduced by vegetative propagation in Salinas,Calif. during the late summer, 1995 and further evaluated before beingrenamed ‘Kakegawa AU4’ in 1996. Further evaluation by the inventorduring 1997 and 1998 demonstrated that the new variety's characteristicswere firmly fixed and stable. Since this time the new variety has beentrialed and vegetatively propagated at the Sakata Seed Corporationfacility in Salinas, Calif. The new variety has been stable and fixed inthis environment also.

The new variety has been observed under greenhouse and outdoorconditions in California and Japan. The phenotype of the new plant mayvary somewhat with variations in temperature, day length, lightintensity or soil media conditions. The observations noted below havebeen made using multiple 8 month old plants grown in Salinas, Calif.under the following conditions. Shoot tips were rooted in soil plugtrays in August. After developing a root ball the plants weretransplanted into six-inch diameter pots and grown outdoors through thewinter to provide vernalization for flowering. In December, buds werepinched off to promote branching. Winter night temperatures averaged 40to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. By May of the following year the plants werein full bloom. Average summer daytime temperatures in Salinas range from60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the month and the amount ofcoastal marine layer cloud cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the appearance the newvariety, ‘Kakegawa AU4’. The colors are represented as true as possibleusing conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1 is a close-up view of the plant showing the color of the petals.

FIG. 2 is a view of the entire plant showing its form in pot culturewhen in full bloom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following traits and characteristics describe the new variety. Colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart(R.H.S.), published by The Royal Horticultural Society of London,England, except where general terms of ordinary significance are used.

Classification:

Family.—Compositae (Asteraceae).

Genus and species.—Osteospermum fruticosum (L.) Norl.

Common names.—African Daisy, Cape Daisy, Freeway Daisy.

Cultivar name.—‘Kakegawa AU4’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Line 573 (not patented).

Male parent.—Line 601 (not patented).

Growth:

Habit.—Vigorous, well branched.

Life cycle.—Perennial.

Plant description:

Height.—39 cm to 43 cm.

Width.—40 cm to 50 cm.

Form.—Upright, conical-like.

Lastingness of florescence.—7 days.

Stems:

Stem color.—RHS 144A (yellow-green).

Stem description.—Strong, erect, herbaceous, glabrous.

Stem diameter.—3 mm to 4 mm.

Internode length.—8 mm to 10 mm.

Leaves:

Leaf arrangement.—Alternate; sessile.

Leaf apex.—Mucronate.

Leaf base.—Oblique.

Leaf color.—Upper RHS 137A (green); lower RHS 137D (green).

Leaf edge.—Slightly serrated.

Leaf shape.—Lanceolate.

Leaf venation.—Pinnate.

Flowers:

Phyllaries.—Arrangement symmetrical; length 10 mm; width 2 mm; shapelinear; apex acute; margin entire; texture pubescent; upper color RHS137D (green); lower color RHS 138C (green).

Corolla.—Free.

Flower diameter.—5.5 cm to 6.0 cm.

Flowering habit.—Determinate.

Fragrance.—None.

Inflorescence type.—Solitary on terminal peduncles.

Ovary.—Inferior.

Peduncle.—Texture pubescent; length 4-6 cm; diameter 0.2 cm; color RHS143C (green).

Bud.—Shape round, pointed at the top; length 1 cm; width 1 cm; color RHS143C (green).

Ray floret shape.—Spatulate; apex acute; margin entire.

Ray floret color.—Dorsal surface of ray florets are RHS 8C (yellow);ventral surface of ray florets is RHS 7B (yellow) with RHS 177C brownstreaks; disk florets are RHS 13B (yellow).

Ray floret size.—3.0 cm in length; 0.8 cm in width.

Ray floret number.—17-18.

Disc floret shape.—Tubular.

Disc floret size.—5.0×0.5 mm.

Disc floret number.—55 per head.

Propagation to bloom.—18 to 20 weeks when rooted vegetative cuttings aretransferred to a six-inch diameter pot in late Fall and given severalweeks of below 50 degree Fahrenheit temperature prior to increasinglywarmer spring weather.

Reproductive organ:

Stigma.—RHS 2D (yellow).

Style.—RHS 2D (yellow).

Anther.—RHS 22 (yellow-orange).

Filament.—RHS 22 (yellow-orange).

Pollen color.—RHS 23B (yellow-orange).

Fruit and seed.—Not produced.

DISEASE AND INSECT RESISTANCE

No known susceptibility to diseases or insects have been observed todate.

COMPARISON WITH OTHER KNOW VARIETIES

The closest known variety to ‘Kakegawa AU4’ is the variety ‘Brightside’,a plant described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,596. Thefollowing table compares the differences that distinguish the newvariety from the similar variety ‘Brightside’.

Characteristic ’Kakegawa AU4' ’Brightside' Disk florets RHS 13B (yellow)RHS 90C (violet-blue) Growth form Upright, conical-like Upright, broadLeaf width (cm) 0.8 1.1 Ray floret color (dorsal) RHS 8C (yellow) Purewhite Ray floret color (ventral) RHS 7B (yellow) with RHS 90B(violet-blue) RHS 177C brown streaks

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct plant of the Compositae family,Osteospermum fruticosum (L.) Norl., herein referred to by the name‘Kakegawa AU4’, as illustrated and described.